Global Interest For Wales

6 October 2003 10:32

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Wales captain Colin Charvis gets on with the training at the Wales base in Canberra.

Courtesy of Australian Associated Press

Rugby World Cup fever may not have affected the focus of the Wales team as they prepare to face Canada in their opening match in Australia - but fans around the globe are certainly getting excited.
The WRU website has received hundreds of good luck messages from up to 40 different countries around the world and traffic has risen to an average of 2,400 unique visitors a day.

Simon Bennet, living in Australia after moving from Cardiff, sends his good wishes and 8-year-old Shelley from Swansea says her cousin will be at the matches supporting Duncan and Adam Jones in particular.
Mark Cummings is in Canada and he says the Cannucks are boasting in local papers that they can 'physically take us on', but he doesn't believe it for a minute.
Ex-pats over the Severn Bridge in England have a strong voice too as the 40-year exiled Timms family from Halifax point out 'We've taken enough stick in recent seasons it's time to give the rest of the World something to think about.'
And Phil Davies, who has left Pontypridd to be posted to an English Regiment in Germany adds 'it would give me no greater pleasure than seeing you (Wales) do brilliantly well, meeting the old enemy in the quarter final and, of course, beating them.'
But the accolade for biggest fan in Wales must go to Rob Evans, a pub and club bouncer from Carmarthen, who has emailed in with over 5 pages worth of Bruce Lee style motivational mantra, which includes:
'Fear is the friend of Exceptional people', a phrase apparently used by boxing trainer Cus Damato to a young Mike Tyson, 'Hesitation Begets defeat' as Sun Tzu once said and finally from Rob himself '...the outside world will see Wales as an underdog and we should take this to the pitch as part of our mental and psychological armoury...we can and we will prove everyone wrong.'
The WRU website Ezine is emailed to over 10,000 registered fans every week to keep them in touch with the side and a recent survey, which asked visitors where they logged on from, returned the following list of 40 different countries:

The Wales squad met back up this morning to prepare for the clash against England - WRU TV caught up with Neil Jenkins who said the squad were under no illusions for their next task but a trip to Twickenham doesn't hold any fears for a confident Wales side.

Wales hooker Ken Owens was delighted to get the NatWest 6 Nations off to a flying start with a convincing win against Scotland, where he says the squad were determined to deliver a performance 'from minute one.'

Welsh referee Nigel Owens will create history in the opening round of the NatWest 6 Nations clash at Stade de France where France face Ireland, when he surpasses the previous record of 17 Six Nations matches held by Alain Rolland and Jonathan Kaplan, as WRU TV's Graeme Gillespie discovers

Just two days until the NatWest 6 Nations kicks off. George North takes WRU TV around the players area at Principality Stadium after going through security - which fans will have to do on Saturday. Gates open at 11.15 - don't leave it late!

Next in the series of #TheTeamRoom we listen in to the first leadership group in camp. The players were asked to nominate their peers who they wanted to represent them on the group and we hear what Warren and the players have to say.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland was in a positive frame of mind at today's NatWest 6 Nations launch but admitted the opening clash in Cardiff was a 'massive' game as everyone is talking about the rise of Scotland.